This invention relates to image management systems, and more particularly to image reconstruction on an image workstation coupled to an image manager.
Medical scanners and medical imaging machines are an integral part of modern medical practice. These scanners and medical imaging devices utilize both electromagnetic radiation and sonic wave to produce images which are viewed by doctors for the diagnosis and care of patients. For example, ultrasound machines are useful for viewing fetuses during prenatal care in a pregnancy or blood flow patterns in arteries. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines are useful for producing images of a wide range of soft tissues.
In a large hospital, medical scanners and medical imaging devices are preferably networked with a central image management system, such as a picture archival and communications system (PACS). The PACS is designed to provide a central storage for archive for medical images. Further, PACS is configured so that stored images may be retrieved. Typically, a hospital will have a single PACS that is networked with a plurality of medical scanners and medical imaging devices located throughout the hospital. Further, the PACS will be networked with a plurality of image workstations, such as a PACS workstation. Images generated by medical scanners and medical imaging devices are transferred to the PACS for storage and later retrieval and review by doctors located throughout the hospital at any of the plurality of image workstations.
Conventionally, doctors or users of image workstations (e.g., PACS workstations) were able to view only two dimensional image renderings of the images retrieved from the PACS. Three dimensional image rendering was restricted to three dimensional rendering on stand alone workstations dedicated for three dimensional graphics processing. Further, because of the restriction to stand alone workstations, conventional three dimensional graphics processing was not carried out on PACS workstation therefore image information and data could not be simply received from the PACS server. Further, because the 3D processing is conventionally carried out on stand alone workstations, the PACS has not been used to store 3D image information.
Therefore, there is a need for an image workstation that is in communication with the PACS and is configured to carry out 3D processing thereon. Further, there is a need for an image workstation that is capable of receiving image information from the PACS and constructing a 3D image rendering while the information is being retrieved.
An embodiment of the invention relates to an image management system. The image management system includes an image manager having a plurality of inputs and outputs. The inputs are configured to receive image information signals and the outputs are configured to provide image output signals. The image manager is configured to store information representative of a plurality of two dimensional image slices. The output signals are representative of the stored two dimensional image slices. The image management system also includes an imaging device having an output coupled to at least one of the inputs of the image manager, and configured to provide an image signal. The image management system further includes an image workstation having an input coupled to at least one of the outputs of the image manager. The image workstation is configured to receive output signals from the image manager representative of selected two dimensional image slices stored by the image manager. The image workstation is configured to construct three dimensional image renderings while the output signals are being received by the image workstation.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of producing a rendering of a three dimensional object from a plurality of two dimensional image information files. The method includes receiving, by an image manager, a plurality of two dimensional image information files from an imaging device. The method also includes storing a plurality of two dimensional image files on the image manager and communicating selected two dimensional image information files to an image workstation. The method further includes receiving a two dimensional image information file by the image workstation and building a portion of the rendering of the three dimensional object based on the two dimensional information file and any other two dimensional information files previously received by the image workstation.
Still another embodiment of the invention relates to a medical imaging system. The medical imaging system includes a medical scanner. The medical imaging system also includes an image manager coupled to the medical scanner and configured to receive and store signals representative of two dimensional image slices from the medical scanner. The medical imaging system also includes an image workstation configured to receive selected signals representative of two dimensional image slices and is configured to construct a three dimensional rendering from the signals representative of the two dimensional image slices substantially while the two dimensional image slices are being received. A partial rendering of the three dimensional rendering may be manipulated while the image workstation is receiving the two dimensional image slices.